JPH10240318A - Data updating device for controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data updating device for controller capable of reloading a data table by reading a maintenance bar code making update information such as the addition or change of new type into bar code through a bar code reader. SOLUTION: A controller is provided with a bar code reader 11 for reading maintenance bar codes MH1 and MD1 coding change information and the data table storing various data corresponding to numerical codes and retrieves the data table based on the code read from the bar code by the bar code reader 11 so as to output data corresponding to that code. Such a controller is provided with a flash memory 16 for storing the data table and a CPU 13 for updating relevant data in the data table stored in the flash memory 16 according to update information by reading the maintenance bar codes MH1 and MD1 through the bar code reader 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code reader comprising a bar code reader for reading a normal bar code on which product information is encoded, and a data table for storing various data associated with numerical codes. The present invention relates to a controller configured to output a data corresponding to a code by searching a data table based on a code read from a bar code by using a bar code. The present invention relates to a rewritable controller data updating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of fusion joints for fusing end portions of pipe members, fusion data (manufacturer name, kind, size,
A label printed by converting a production lot number, a standard resistance value, an energizing time, etc.) into a barcode in advance is attached to the surface of the fusion spliced joint after production and shipped.

At a construction site, a bar code of a label attached to the surface of the fusion joint is read by a bar code reader provided in a controller of the fusion machine, and the read fusion data is displayed on a screen. And provide necessary information to field workers.

FIG. 6 shows the specifications of a barcode (hereinafter, referred to as a normal barcode) N containing such fusion data. The normal bar code N is composed of, for example, 32 digits, and the first 19 digits are the manufacturer name (4 digits) and the product type (2 digits).
), Size (three digits),..., Are encoded as numerical codes.

[0005] For example, for the name of the manufacturer, FIG.
And a table shown in FIG. The alphabet code table shown in FIG. 7 is a table in which alphabets “A” to “Z” correspond to two-digit numerical codes from “01” to “26”.
The manufacturer code table shown in FIG.
It is a table in which characters correspond to manufacturer names (character strings).

Therefore, the name of the manufacturer of the barcode N is usually a four-digit number obtained by encoding two letters of the alphabet determined for each manufacturer. For example, when the manufacturer name is “ABC company”, a 4-digit numerical code “0102” is written in the manufacturer name of the normal bar code N.

[0009] For the type, a type code table shown in FIG. 9 is prepared. This type code table indicates the name (character string) of each type of fusion joint such as socket, cheese,..., Cap from “00” to “1”.
It is a table corresponding to two-digit numerical codes up to "0". Therefore, for example, when the type of the fusion joint is cheese, a two-digit numerical code of “01” is written in the type of the normal bar code N.

Similarly, a size code table (not shown) is prepared for the size, and a three-digit numerical code corresponding to the size code table is written in the size of the normal bar code N.

As described above, each data has a table (hereinafter, referred to as a data table) associated with a numerical code assigned to the data, and by retrieving the data in the table, the meaning of the bar code is obtained. Can be decrypted.

Conversely, codes that are not in the database cannot be decrypted. For example, when the numeric code of “0103” is written in the place of the manufacturer name of the normal barcode N, but the manufacturer name table corresponding to “AC” is not registered in the manufacturer code table, Even if "0103" of the normal barcode N is converted into "AC" in the alphabet code table, and the manufacturer code table is searched based on the converted "AC", it will be displayed as no corresponding data.

[0011] A numerical code of "11" is written at the type of the normal bar code N, but only the type from "01" to "10" is registered in the type code table. Even if the product code table is searched based on “11” of the normal bar code N,
It will be displayed as no corresponding data.

As described above, when a code of data that is not in the data table is written in the normal bar code N, the controller on the side of the fusion machine processes the data as no data (cannot be decoded).

[0013]

By the way, with the improvement of the production technology of fusion joints, new varieties are often added or changed. In this case, conventionally, each time a new variety is added or changed, the internal R
The OM is replaced with a ROM in which a new variety is added or changed. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to replace the ROM.

In some controllers having functions such as a memory card and a floppy card, the contents of a data table used for decoding a bar code are stored in a storage medium such as the memory card or the floppy card.
With a controller with such a specification, there is not much problem even if there is a change, but if devices without functions such as memory cards and floppy cards appear due to simplification of the device equipped with the controller, the conventional Street R
There was a problem that there was only a method of OM exchange.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. An object of the present invention is to read a maintenance bar code in which update information such as addition or change of a new variety is converted into a bar code by a bar code reader. By
An object of the present invention is to provide a data updating device of a controller that enables rewriting of a data table.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data updating apparatus for a controller, comprising: a bar code reader for reading a normal bar code on which product information is encoded; A data table storing various data associated with the code, and outputting the data corresponding to the code by searching the data table based on the code read from the barcode by the barcode reader. In the controller, the rewritable storage means for storing the data table, and the maintenance bar code coded update information such as addition, change, deletion of product information is read by the bar code reader, the storage means in the storage means The relevant data in the stored data table is And configured to include an update control unit for updating according to the update information indicated by the bar code.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data updating apparatus for a controller according to the first aspect.
The number of digits of the maintenance barcode is made different from the number of digits of the normal barcode, and the controller updates the normal barcode reading mode and the maintenance barcode according to the difference in the number of digits of the read barcode. The mode is switched.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controller data updating apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein:
The maintenance barcode is created in a format different from the normal barcode, and the controller is capable of reading barcodes of these formats, and determines the read format to read the normal barcode. And an update mode of the maintenance bar code.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controller data updating device according to the first aspect,
The maintenance barcode includes a header bar and a data bar, and the controller is configured to switch to the update mode by reading the header maintenance barcode.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a data updating device for a controller according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a controller for a fusing machine is shown.

This controller is a bar code reader 1
1 and a fusing power supply 12 for supplying a current to a fusing joint (not shown).
, A ROM 15 and a flash memory 16.

The ROM 15 stores a program for mainly controlling the controller. In the flash memory 16, each area shown in FIGS.
Various tables as shown in FIG. FIG. 1 shows a manufacturer table therein as an example.

The bar code reader 11 normally reads a bar code (normal bar code N shown in FIG. 6) of a label attached to the surface of the fusion joint and outputs the same to the CPU 13. The CPU 13 refers to each table stored in the flash memory 16 to decode the code read by the barcode reader 11, and displays the decoded fused data on the display unit 14.

The CPU 13 is provided with the bar code reader 1.
When the maintenance barcodes MH and MD in which update information to be described later is coded from 1 are read, according to the update information of the maintenance barcodes MH and MD,
Processing for updating the corresponding data of the corresponding table in the flash memory 16 is performed.

That is, the flash memory 16 corresponds to the rewritable storage means of the present invention, and the CPU 13
Corresponds to the update control means of the first aspect. FIG.
Indicates the specifications of the maintenance barcodes MH and MD in which update information such as addition, change, and deletion of product information is coded. In the present embodiment, the maintenance barcodes MH are divided into headers and data. , MD are created.

The header maintenance bar code MH contains information such as an update version number, an update type (addition, change, deletion, etc.), an update table, and the number of updates after a header indicated by a two-digit numerical code. I have.

The data maintenance bar code M
In D, a two-digit code indicating a data number is inserted at the beginning, and when there are a plurality of data maintenance bar codes MD, serial numbers are sequentially input. After this data, information such as an update code and an update item name (the name of the manufacturer in this embodiment) is included.

Next, the update processing operation of the controller having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 by taking as an example a case where new manufacturer data is added to the data table in the flash memory 16. explain.

Here, it is assumed that the manufacturer code table in the flash memory 16 has already stored the data of the manufacturer name shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The additional data is “manufacturer name: ACB, code AC”.
Maintenance barcode M to add this data
As H1 and MD1, two types of barcodes (for header and data) as shown in FIG. 3 are created. Further, the controller detects the distinction between the operation of reading the normal barcode N (reading mode) and the operation of updating the data table using the maintenance barcodes MH1 and MD1 (update mode) based on the difference in the number of digits of the read barcode. It shall be. For example, the normal barcode N has 32 digits, and the maintenance barcodes MH1 and MD1 have 64 digits.

First, when the header maintenance bar code MH1 is read from the bar code reader 11 (step S1), the CPU 13 checks whether the format of the read header is correct (step S2). And
If the format of the header is not correct, the operation proceeds to step S7, and a warning is issued to read the maintenance barcode MH1 of the correct header. As a warning method, for example, there is a method of displaying a warning in characters on the display unit 14 or a method of sounding a buzzer (not shown).

After confirming that the header is the header, it is confirmed whether the data of the update version number is newer than the present (step S3). If the updated version number is the same as or older than the current version, the operation proceeds to step S7 to issue a warning.

When it is confirmed that the update version number is new, the type of update is confirmed next (step S4), and subsequently, it is confirmed which table is updated and how many are updated (steps S5 and S6). In the present embodiment, since the manufacturer data is added, it is confirmed that the update type is “addition” and that the update table is “manufacturer table”.

Thereafter, when the data maintenance bar code MD1 is read from the bar code reader 11 (step S11), the CPU 13 checks whether or not the read data is update data (step S1).
2). If it is not confirmed that the data is update data, the operation proceeds to step S17, and a warning is issued to read the correct data maintenance bar code MD1.

After confirming that the data is update data, the code "AC" and the manufacturer name "ACB" are read (step S13), and the manufacturer table is searched to determine whether there is a duplicate code. (Steps S14 and S1)
5). If there is a duplicate code, the operation proceeds to step S17 to issue a warning.

If there is no duplicate code, the manufacturer table is updated (step S16). That is, the last data of the manufacturer table (ie, R
After S: RIS, the manufacturer data (AC: ACB) is added.

When a plurality of data are added to the same table (that is, when there are a plurality of data maintenance barcodes MD1 shown in FIG. 3), the data maintenance barcode MD1 is read one after another, and The processing (steps S11 to S15) is repeatedly performed.

When, for example, the manufacturer data in the data table in the flash memory 16 is changed, the data of the manufacturer name [for example, (CD: CDF)] of the change source is changed to the changed manufacturer name [for example, (AC: ACB)] or the name of the manufacturer of the change source [for example,
(CD: CDF)], and add manufacturer data (AC: ACB) after the last data (ie, RS: RIS) in the manufacturer table. When a plurality of data are changed (that is, when there are a plurality of data maintenance barcodes MD1 shown in FIG. 3),
The data maintenance barcode MD1 is read one after another, and the above processing is repeated.

When deleting, for example, manufacturer data in the data table in the flash memory 16, the name of the manufacturer to be deleted [for example, (CD: CDF)] is deleted from the manufacturer table. When a plurality of data are deleted (that is, when there are a plurality of data maintenance barcodes MD1 shown in FIG. 3), the data maintenance barcodes MD1 are read one after another, and the above processing is repeated.

In addition, in any update processing of addition, change, and deletion, when the number of read data maintenance barcodes MD1 is equal to or greater than the number of updates written in the header maintenance barcode, Raise an alarm.

After all the update processes are completed, the contents of the update are confirmed using a check barcode (not shown) in order to confirm whether or not the data has been updated normally. As a check method, a method of setting the number of data as information of a check barcode, comparing the number of data with the updated number of data inside the controller, and checking the number of data can be considered.
In this case, there are a method of confirming the total number of internal data, a method of comparing the number of data for each type that has changed in the executed update processing, and the like. Also, without using such a check barcode, the maintenance barcode MH1,
By using the MD1 as it is and performing the entire update operation again, it can be regarded as a check of the update process by confirming that the entire update operation has already been performed.

In the above embodiment, the controller detects the distinction between the normal barcode N reading mode and the data table update mode using the maintenance barcodes MH1 and MD1 based on the difference in the number of digits of the read barcode. However, it is configured such that data for distinguishing from the normal barcode N is inserted at the head of the maintenance barcode MH1 for the header, and the mode is switched to the update mode by reading this data. It is possible. Further, the maintenance barcodes MH1 and MD1 are created in a format different from the normal barcode N, and the controller enables reading of the barcodes in these formats. When the controller reads the format of the maintenance barcode MH1 for the header, the controller switches to the update mode. It is possible to configure so that it can be replaced. Further, the controller may be provided with a changeover switch for switching between a normal barcode N reading mode (fusion mode) and a data table update mode using the maintenance barcodes MH1 and MD1. By doing so, there is no need to distinguish between a maintenance barcode and a normal barcode (different numbers of digits and different formats).

In the above-described embodiment, the maintenance bar codes MH1 and MD1 are created separately for the header and data. It may be created as code.

In the above embodiment, the flash memory 16 is exemplified as the rewritable storage means. However, a backup RAM or the like can be used in addition to the above.

[0044]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data updating apparatus for a controller, which stores a bar code reader for reading a normal bar code in which product information is encoded and various data associated with a numerical code. A data table and, by outputting a data corresponding to this code by searching the data table based on a code read from a normal bar code by a bar code reader, storing the data table in a rewritable manner By reading a storage bar code and a maintenance bar code coded with update information such as addition, change and deletion of product information with a bar code reader, the corresponding data of the data table stored in the storage device is indicated by the maintenance bar code. Update control means for updating in accordance with the updated update information. So it was formed, controller of the RO
Since the type can be added, changed, deleted, etc. without exchanging M, maintenance work efficiency is remarkably improved.
Further, even a controller having no function, such as a memory card, a floppy disk, or an optical disk, can update internal data.

In the data updating apparatus for a controller according to the second aspect of the present invention, the number of digits of the maintenance bar code is made different from the number of digits of the ordinary bar code. It is configured to switch between a normal barcode reading mode and a maintenance barcode update mode depending on the difference. Further, the controller data updating device according to the third aspect of the present invention creates a maintenance barcode in a format different from a normal barcode, and the controller is capable of reading barcodes in these formats and reads the same. The format is determined so as to switch between a normal barcode reading mode and a maintenance barcode update mode. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the controller data updating device, the maintenance barcode is configured for header and data, and the controller is configured to switch to the update mode by reading the header maintenance barcode. doing. This makes it possible to reliably distinguish between the normal barcode reading mode and the maintenance barcode update mode, and to reliably execute the update mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a data updating device of a controller according to the present invention, showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a controller of a fusion machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing specifications of a maintenance bar code.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing specifications of a maintenance barcode.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an update processing operation of the controller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an update processing operation of the controller.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing specifications of a normal barcode.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an alphabet code table.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a manufacturer code table.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a type code table.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Bar Code Reader 13 CPU 14 Display 15 ROM 16 Flash Memory N Normal Bar Code MH, MH1 Maintenance Bar Code for Header MD, MD1 Data Maintenance Bar Code

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A bar code reader for reading a normal bar code in which product information is encoded, and a data table storing various data associated with a numerical code, wherein the bar code reader reads the bar code from the bar code. A controller that outputs the data corresponding to the code by searching the data table based on the read code, including a rewritable storage unit that stores the data table, and addition, change, and deletion of product information. Update control means for reading the maintenance barcode in which the update information is encoded by the barcode reader, thereby updating the corresponding data of the data table stored in the storage means in accordance with the update information indicated by the maintenance barcode. Control characterized by having La of the data updating apparatus. 2. The number of digits of the maintenance barcode and the number of digits of the normal barcode are different, and the controller determines the normal barcode reading mode and the normal barcode reading mode according to the difference in the number of digits of the read barcode. 2. The data updating device for a controller according to claim 1, wherein the mode is switched between a maintenance barcode updating mode and a maintenance barcode updating mode. 3. The maintenance barcode is created in a format different from the normal barcode, and the controller is capable of reading barcodes in these formats, and determines the read format to determine the normal barcode. 2. The controller data updating device according to claim 1, wherein the mode is switched between a bar code reading mode and a maintenance bar code updating mode. 4. The controller according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance bar code includes a header bar and a data bar, and the controller switches to the update mode by reading the header maintenance bar code. apparatus.